A Look at the Impacts of Irene in the Dog River Valley through the Science of River Management

Berlin, VT – On January 26^th, The Conservation Commissions of Northfield and Berlin along with Norwich University, the Winooski Natural Resource Conservation District and the Friends of the Winooski River are sponsoring a program to discuss the impact of Tropical Storm Irene and other flood events in the context of how we have traditionally managed streams and what other options we should consider based on river science to improve flood resiliency. The program will be held on Thursday January 26^th from 7:00 to 9:00 PM in Room 85 on the ground floor, of the Cabot Science building on the Norwich University campus

The program will start with an overview of the geology of the Dog River watershed and lead into a presentation on river dynamics and management. This program will look at the interaction and conflicts between the river and our development and how traditional management practices of gravel extraction, straightening and armoring of banks impacts rivers and downstream communities and infrastructure. There will be discussion on how Tropical Storm Irene impacted the Dog River watershed and its communities and how we can change our management practices to improve flood resiliency of river communities. The program will also include a discussion on Irene’s impacts on the fish population.

Speakers will include a river scientist and watershed planner from the Department of Environmental Conservation, a Norwich geology professor, a Department of Fish and Wildlife biologist and town staff.